Fur-dyeing apparatus



June 8 1926. 1,587,945

W. GEBRATH FUR DYEING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27,1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M ATORNEY June 8 1926.

w. GEBRATH FUR DYEING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 225:2 mlllun M AT ORNEY Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM GEIBRATH, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

FUB-DYEIN G APPARATUS.

- Application med December 27, 1923. Serial No. 682,666.

This invention relates to fur dyeing apparatus and has for its primaryobject to provide a simply constructed and eflicient machine forautomatically applying the dye to the fur hair, and thoroughly coatingthe hair withoutallowing any appreciable quantity of the dye to collectupon the skin.

In a practical mbodiment of my invention, I provide a support and anapron movable thereover, together with endless cords, bands or analogouselements moving with the apron for holding the fur thereon. As the furis thus drawn over the surfaces of the support, the hair is firstbrushed up by a brush rotating in the opposite direction to the movementof the fur, thereby separating individual hairs on the skin, and the dyeis then applied by a second brush rotating in the same direction as themovement of the fur, the bristles of the latter brush catching theindividual hairs, and as the dye is applied thereto, brushing the hairsdown upon the skin. In this manner, only the hairs of the fur becomecoated with the dye and the dye is not rubbed into the skin itself, thusobviating rapid deterioration of the skin due to the chemical action ofthe dye constituents. V

It is a further general object of the inven tion to provide a machine asabove characterized, whereby the dyeing of various kinds of furs may begreat y expedited, the machine as a whole being of relatively simpleconstruction, so that the cost of production will be comparativelysmall.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved fur dyeing apparatus and the form, construction and relativearrangement of its several parts as will be more fully hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequentlyincorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustirated one simple and practicalembodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views Fig. 1 isa'side elevation of a fur dyeing apparatus, constructed in accordancewith the referred embodiment of the invention;

151g. 2 is a fragmentary top plan View, an

Fig.3 is a detail dia ammatic View illustrating the action of t erotating brushes upon the fur.

As herein illustrated, I have shown the essential parts of the apparatussuitably mounted and arranged upon a supporting frame 5. Upon this framethere is arranged a support 6, having bracket members 7 secured to theends thereof which are mounted in suitable clamps 8 arranged upon theframe. However, any other desired means may be employed for detachablymounting this support in position upon the frame structure. The support6 has an upper horizontal plane surface 9 and an obliquely incline endsurface 10, the purpose of which will presently appear.

Upon the frame structure 5, rollers 11 and 12 are suitably supported.The endless apron 13 passes around these rollers and over a suitablymounted tension roller 14 arranged between the rollers 11 and 12. Theupper stretch of the apron 13 is horizontally disposed and moves alongthe horizontal surface 9 of the support 6, said apron then extendingdownwardly over the oblique face 10 of the support to the roller 12.

Additional rollers 15, 16 and 17 are also mounted in the framestructure, the roller 16 being located intermediate the ends of theupper horizontal stretch of the apron 13 and closely adjacent thereto.Two or more endless cords 18 pass around these latter rollers, saidcords extending in closely adjacent parallel relation to the horizontalstretch of the apron and to the obliquely disposed stretch thereofextending between the face 10 of the support and the roller 12.

Adjacent to the end face 10 of the support a dye receivin container androtatable dye applying brus 20 is arranged, the brush shaft exteriorlyof the container being provided with a sprocket wheel with which thedrive chain 21 is en aged. This chain also drives a second brus 21' uponthe shaft of which the sprocket 22 is fixed, the latter brush beingmounted above the upper surface of the support and adjacent to thejuncture of the upper surface with the end surface 10 thereof. Theperipheral line of the dye applying brush 20 is located contiguous tothe latter surface.

The chain 21 is driven by the large sprocket wheel 23 fixed upon themain shaft 24 which may be operatively connected to a motor or othersource of power, said sprocket chain being trained over a guide sprocket25.

The roller 15 is located at one side of the apron roller 12 and at theopposite side thereof the roller 26 is mounted and has bearing contactagainst the apron, sa d roller being driven by the sprocket chainconnection 27, with the main shaft 24. The rollers, 12, 15 and 26 arealso geared to each other in the conventional manner so that'they arerespectively rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1of the drawings. Thus, the endless apron and the fur holding cords 18are moved in the direction indicated by the arrows in said figure and atthe same speeds. The rollers 12 and 26 are surfaced with pliable rubberand b their close contact, squeeze off what ever ye may be adhering tothe apron.

If desired, a tank or hopper 28 of large capacity may be supported uponthe frame and connected by feed pipe 29 to the dye container 19. Asuitable control valve 30 may be interposed in this feed pipe.

In operation, the fur is laid smoothly upon the upper stretch of theapron 13 with the hair side uppermost and is carried by the apron underthe roller 16, at which point the fur is engaged by the cords 18. Thusit will be understood that the fur is closely held by these cords on theapron surface as the latter moves over the surface 9 of the support. Thefur hair is first engaged by the bristles of the brush 21, rotating inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, so that the bristlesstrike the ends of the individual hairs and thus raise or lift the samefrom their natural reclining position uponthe surface of the skin. Theskin is held in position on the apron 13 by strings or cords as is wellknown in the art, and therefore not shown in the drawings. The brush 21also tends to bring the individual hairs above these strings or cords.After the fur has passed beneath this brush, the hairs will artiallyreturn toward their former positions but will stand out almost atrightangles with respect to the surface of the skin. As the fur with theindividual hairs thus disposed, is drawn around the end of the supportupon the inclined surface 10, the hairs are engaged by the bristles ofthe brush 20, rotating in a reverse direction with respect to the brush21. The lowerside portion of this brush is immersed in the dye liquidcontained in the container 19, so that each individual hair will receivea complete coating of the d e liquid from the bristles of the brush. T etip only of the brush takes up the dye, and this gives a coating of allsurfaces thereof with the dye liquid is assured. In this manner it .willbe seen all of the fur hair will be uniformly dyed. The dye applyingbrush does not come into direct contact with the surface of the skin andconsequently it will be apparent that very little, if any, of the dyeliquid will collect upon the skin surface, so that the latter will notbe affected by the chemical action of the dye constituents, thusprolonging the life of the fur. A machine of this kind may be obviouslyoperated at very high speed, thereby greatly expediting the dying of thefurs over the old method of brushing or working the dye into the fur.

In order to assure a uniform disposition of the dyed hairs with respectto the skin surface and also the removal of any excess dye liquid, I mayprovide squeegee rollers, indicated at 31, arranged upon either side ofthe obliquely extending portion of the apron 13 between the support 6and the roller 12. However, these rollers are. not essential and may beeliminated if desired.

From the foregoing description, the manner of operation and severaladvantages of my invention will be clearly understood. It Wlll be seenthat I have provided an apparatus for this purpose which is relativelys1mple in its construction and efiicient in operation. The machine mayof course be constructed in various sizes and may operate upon anynumber of furs at the same time. I have herein described and illustratedan embodiment of the invention which I be lieve to be ,entirelypractical. However, since it is manifest that the essential features ofmy present disclosure might be exemplified in many other alternativestructures, I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimatechanges in the form, construction and relative arrangement of theseveral parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as claimed.

I claim 1. In a fur-dyeing apparatus, a support having adjacentangularly related surfaces, an endless. fur carr ing apron movable oversaid surfaces of t e support, a rotating brush dis osed contiguous toone of said surfaces or lifting the fur hairs from the skin surface, anda dye applying brush arranged contiguous to the other surface andengaging the individual fur hairs to apply the dye liquid thereto.

2. In a fur-dyeing apparatus, a su port having adjacent angularlyrelated sur aces, an endless fur carrying apron movable over saidsurfaces of the support, a rotating brush dis osed contiguous to one ofsaid surfaces or lifting the fur hairs from the skin. surface, and a dveapplying brush arranged adjacent to the other surface and rotating in adirection opposite to the direction of rotation of said first-namedbrush, whereby the dye is applied to the individual fur hairs and saidhairs individually moved by the brush bristles and returned to theirpormal positions relative to the skin surace.

3. In a fur-dyeing apparatus, a support, an endless apron movable oversaid support endless cords having portions thereo closely disposed inparallel relation with said apron to hold the fur upon the latter, a dyecontainer arranged adjacent to said support, and a dye applying brushmounted in said container and rotating in the direction of movement ofsaid apron to apply the dye liquid to the individual fur hairs.

4. In a fur-dyeing apparatus, a support having 'adjacent angularlydisposed surfaces, an endless apron movable over said surfaces of thesupport, endless cords movable at the same speed as said apron andhaving portions thereof closely positioned in parallel relation with theapron to hold the fur upon the latter as it moves over said support, abrush rotatably mounted adjacent to one of said surfaces to lift thehairs on the fur skin, and a dye applying brush mounted adjacent to theother surface to apply the dye liquid to the individual fur hairs.

5. In a fur-dyeing apparatus, a support having adjacent angularlydisposed surfaces, an endless apron movable over said surfaces of thesupport, endless cords movable at the same speed as said apron andhaving portions thereof closely positioned in parallel relation with theapron to hold the fur upon the latter as it moves over said support, abrush rotatably mounted adjacent to one of said surfaces to lift thehairs on the fur skin, a dye applying brush mounted adjacent to theother surface to apply the dye liquid to the individual fur hairs, andmeans for rotating the latter brush in the direction of movement of thefur and at a relatively higher speed and for rotating the first namedbrush in the opposite direction.

6. In a fur dyeing machine, means for movin a fur bearing skin along aprescribe path having portions extending in intersecting planes, meansarranged at one side of the point of intersection of such planes to liftthe fur from the surface of the skin, and a dye applying member arrangedat the opposite side of the point of intersection of said planes toengage the individual hairs while said hairs are dis posed substantiallyat right angles to the skin surface.

7. In a fur dyeing machine, a fur lifting member, means for moving thefur bearing skin along a prescribed path beneath said member and forengagement thereby whereby the fur is lifted from the skin surface, anda rotary dye applying member having its axis disposed below said path ofmove ment of the skin and adapted to engage the individual fur hairswhile said hairs are disposed substantially at right angles to the skinsurface.

8. In a fur dyeing machine, means for moving a fur bearing skin along aprescribed path having portions extending in intersecting planes, arotary brush mounted at one side of the point of intersection of saidplanes to engage and lift the fur from the surface of the skin, and arotary dye applying brush mounted at the other side of the point ofintersection of said planes and adapted toengage the individual furhairs while said hairs are disposed substantliially at right angles tothe surface of the s 1n.

9. In a fur dyeing machine, a support having surfaces extending inintersecting planes providing a prescribed path over which a fur bearingskin may be moved, and a rotary dye applying brush mounted at one sideof the point of intersection of said surface planes and adapted toengage and dye-coat the fur hair during movement of the skin from one ofsaid surfaces upon the other of said surfaces.

In testimon that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname hereto.

' WILLIAM GEBRATH.

